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4.6
Travel Information
Compare bus, train, and flight for San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
Omio recommends booking the train as it is the most popular option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL among Omio's users. If you are prioritising price take the flight with prices starting from €71. For those with little time consider booking a flight which can get you there in 4h 37m. In case you are seeking to minimise your carbon footprint the train is your best bet as it emits only 0.9 - 2.7kg. The ticket price range depends on the travel mode: a flight costs an average of €71, and a bus costs an average of €97.
Distance: 1853 miles (2983 km)
Compare train with
Most popular Train | Flight | Bus |
|---|---|---|
€235 Average price | €221 Average price Cheapest | €249 Average price |
54h 24m Average total duration 53h 54m Onboard + 30m Additional time* | 7h 37m Average total duration Fastest 4h 37m Onboard + 3h 0m Additional time* | 54h 27m Average total duration 53h 57m Onboard + 30m Additional time* |
0.9 - 2.7kg CO2 emissions Lowest | 8.9 - 17.9kg CO2 emissions | 3.0 - 7.5kg CO2 emissions |
 Most popular train company |  Most popular airline |  Most popular bus company |
Direct Options | Direct Options | Direct Options |
Additional time: Average total travel duration to departure point, security checks and transfers.
Travel optionsfrom San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
How to get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL by train, bus or flight.
Our recommendation
The best way to travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is by taking a bus because it’s the best combination of price and speed.
Cheapest
Fastest
Other options
Find all the dates and times for this journey by train, bus, flight, and ferry .
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FAQs: Travel from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL
Travel to Chicago, IL easily. Whether you want fast, cheap or something entirely different, our travel experts have collected everything you need to know so you can find the best option from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.
You can get from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL 3 different ways: bus, train or flight.
The cheapest way to travel to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is a flight with an average price of $90 (€81).
This is compared to other travel options from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:
Taking a flight costs $18 (€16) less than taking a bus, which costs on average $108 (€97) for the same trip.
Taking a flight costs $33 (€30) less than taking a train, which average ticket prices of $123 (€111).
The fastest way to get to Chicago, IL from San Francisco, CA is by flight with an average travel time of 4 h 13 min.
Other travel options to Chicago, IL take longer:
Bus takes on average 60 h 40 min.
Train takes on average 52 h 50 min.
You should expect to travel around 1849 miles (2983 km) between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL.
The average frequency per day from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL is:
- 10 buses a day.
- 44 flights per day.
- 4 trains a day.
However, we recommend checking specific travel dates for your journey between San Francisco, CA and Chicago, IL as scheduled services by bus, train or flight can vary by season or day of the week.
These are the most popular departure and arrival points from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:
The following travel companies offer services from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL:
- Greyhound or FlixBus can get you to Chicago, IL by bus. You can find a good deal for bus tickets with Greyhound from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $108 (€97) on Omio.
- Travel with United, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines or Frontier Airlines for flights to Chicago, IL. If you’re looking for a good deal on tickets, check for American Airlines San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL tickets on Omio for $90 (€81).
- Amtrak can take you to Chicago, IL by train. If searching for a good deal on trains, you can find tickets for Amtrak from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL for $123 (€111).
Yes, there are direct services available from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL with the following travel companies:
- 13 direct flights per day with United, Alaska Airlines or American Airlines.
Direct services tend to save you time and add more convenience in getting you to Chicago, IL as you won't need to transfer at another stop in between, so it's worth paying attention to before booking your tickets from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL.
Travelling from San Francisco, CA to Chicago, IL: related information
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